Songs of Silence
by K.V.Ashe
Summary: After another fight with Alex, Eve felt she had to get away, back to her roots in rural SC. Alex stays behind in their coastal city home, sure of her return. Neither of them are ready for the nightmare that will separate them- possibly forever. This story is written in the universe of TWD following rules from S 1&2 using OC's. First time posting my writing online, hope you enjoy!
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

Amongst the sounds of katydids, crickets, and cicadas, the sounds of my childhood that once gave me feelings of peace and home, I felt more alone than I had ever felt in my entire life. The thick sounds which once lulled me to sleep on summer nights now only reminded me that, as a human, I was now the minority. I was the prey animal, huddled in my faux and fleeting safety in my makeshift bed. I am alone.

I looked around my unfamiliar surroundings, a forgotten shed in woods with no paths to follow. The one window with a broken pane shed rays of moonlight over my bare legs, too hot and humid for cover. A sudden rustling of leaves prompted me to hold my breath, my heartbeat filling my ears as I waited. I didn't want to admit to myself what I was really waiting for.

Each passing moment only brought me closer to one thing. I had already fought so hard and for so long, but now, amidst the chorus of nature with tears welling in my eyes, I knew my death was inevitable. Squeezing my eyes shut, hot tears ran down my dirt dusted cheeks. I knew the only solace I could find now in this life was inside my dreams, where I could still remember shape of his eyes and the curve of his smile, but I knew there would be no rest tonight, the dead still ringing in my ears.


	2. Part 1, Chapter 1

Part One

Evelyn

 _Ch 1_

We had a fight. Again.

We fought over stupid things all the time, most of the time it was money or stress getting the better of us. It's not like we don't love each other, that's something I've never truly doubted. In my short twenty four years on this planet, I don't think I've ever met someone I've felt more attuned to, more passion for, but I've also never met someone as equally stubborn and full of pride.

That's why I'm here, sitting on a felled tree in the woods behind the house I grew up in, listening to songbirds create symphonies while I pick at the bark, feeling sorry for myself. I knew that no matter what, I would forgive him the moment he asked. Sitting here with all the tranquility of nature around me, away from our small home on the edge of the big city with the constant buzz of human life, I was almost able to forget what we had been fighting about in the first place, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from pouting for at least another day… or maybe a few hours when I would shove my dignity in my pocket and walk back up to the house and give him a call, if only to hear his voice.

I had already been here for a few days. Feeling overwhelmed by our fight and just life in general. I just had to get away. I was back staying at my Nana and Papa's house where they had raised me after, well… when there was no one else for the job I guess. My Papa had passed almost ten years before and my Nana had remarried a couple years back and now lived with her new husband somewhere in the mountains, so only my Aunt Virginia lived here now, along with her live in nurse. The oldest of my aunts and uncles, Aunt Virginia had suffered from a severe stroke and was now confined to a wheelchair, unable to use the right side of her body. This happened only a few years after I was born, so I never got to know what she was like before. According to family members, she had been a very skilled painter and taught kindergarten most of her life. Now my aunt and her nurse spent most of their time watching soaps or reading out on the porch.

Having already eaten all of the food I had brought with me on my short hike, I gathered up my belongings, a wicker basket I had used to carry my lunch and a book I had been reading for the fourth time. My stomach dropped when I couldn't find my cell phone, but I sighed with relief when I remembered that I had left it back at our house as an act of rebellion, saying that I would call him if I ever wanted to talk to him again. How petty in retrospect, but it couldn't be helped now. It's not like I would have any reception out here anywhere.

I made my way along the barely visible path through the woods. My Papa and I used to walk this path all the time. Even now I could point out some of the trees he had taught me; sassafras, hickory, oak, and of course loads of pine. I made my way carefully, ducking low under a giant web, a golden silk orb-weaver sitting proudly in the middle of his creation. It was late August now, so I had to be extra careful of snakes along my path. I'd never forget the first time I'd come across a rattlesnake; the memory gave me goosebumps.

After fifteen minutes or so of slow hiking, I finally broke through the edge of the woods and found myself at the edge of the only manicured section of the five acres my family owned. In the middle of the lawn sat the old trailer that I was raised in. It was an old grey double wide, one that replaced the older one that had been picked up and twisted like a Coke can by Hurricane Hugo. It had a large porch built onto the back of it, half of which was covered. The other half acted as a deck leading up to an above ground pool. My papa had built that porch himself, using reclaimed wood and bits of the old porch that had been destroyed by the hurricane. The steps creaked as I made my way up, carefully opening up the swinging gate at the top, its rusted hinge squealing in protest.

I made my way through the back door, the heavy metal door closing off the sounds of outside. I was met by the hum of the air conditioner in the kitchen window, otherwise the house was completely silent. This wasn't unusual, so I placed the basket down on the old washer that stood in the small hallway by the door and slipped off my sneakers. While walking over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, I noticed a note laying on the kitchen table:

"Evelyn, Went to the store with your Aunt. Will be back by dinner. Your cousin called. Sounded urgent. - Ms. Pat"

My cousin was the one who came and got me a few days ago, since I couldn't take our only car. I hadn't seen him since then and couldn't imagine what could be urgent. We used to be best friends when were kids. I was two years older than him and was the one to give him his nickname, Jade. Originally his mom tried calling him J.D. short for Jonathan Delaine, but my two year old self had trouble with it and instead blurred the two letters together. It ended up sticking throughout his childhood, but now I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who still calls him by that. We grew apart about ten years ago and now seldom saw each other or even talked, but the closeness between us never went away. His mom, my aunt, was like a surrogate mother to me, and we spent basically every moment together that we could.

Not feeling up to talking quite yet, I instead walked through the dining room and down the hall to my old bedroom. The only thing that remained the same since I moved out six years ago was the old wooden four poster bed that squeaked and whined when you shifted even an inch. With all of my belongings now residing in Goose Creek, the room was now filled with things that didn't fit anywhere else, along with much of my late great-grandmother's things. She had moved into my room after I left, my Nana wanting her to be closer when her health started to decline. She died two years later, around the age of 95, or at least that was our best guess since she never told us when she was born.

I sat down on the bed which groaned in protest, and laid back with my arm draped over my eyes. Though I wouldn't admit it to myself, I missed him. I couldn't sleep the past few nights, especially when I remember that my great-grandma had passed in this very bed, and when I did I had nightmares. The lack of sleep evidently got to me as next I opened my eyes, I noticed through the lace covered window that the sun seemed much lower in the sky. I rubbed my eyes, crusty from my impromptu nap and stretched out, feeling a few of my joints pop. Man I missed our memory foam mattress.

Remembering the note, I walked into the kitchen and was surprised to find that my aunt and Ms. Pat still weren't back. I shrugged, figuring they probably just got caught up somewhere, talking to old friends more than likely. In a small town like Elloree, it was bound to happen. I grabbed an apple from the fridge and walked over to the house phone. The old answering machine had a blinking red light. I pressed play and took a bite of my apple, some of the juice dribbling down my chin and staining my shirt. A few of the messages weren't meant for me, but the last few were my cousin. The first couple, his voice seemed a little tense, asking for me to call him back as soon as possible, but by the last one, he almost seemed pleading. He didn't give any information, and I was worried that maybe someone was in the hospital or worse…

Cursing myself for falling asleep, I picked up the phone and dialed his number which hadn't changed since we were kids. All I got was a busy tone. Confused and a little miffed, I settled the phone back onto the cradle. Before I could make a decision as to what to do, I could hear the sound of an engine outside, coming down the dusty dirt road. Figuring they had returned I walked outside to to offer to help carry anything, but instead I saw my cousin parking his motor bike. He was frowning, his brow deeply furrowed as he made his way up to the porch.

"Jesus Christ, Eve, I've been calling you since this morning!" his voice strained with an anger and frustration that made me nervous. He surprised me as he pulled me in for a tight hug as the gate squealed shut behind him.

"Sorry, sorry, I was out in the woods this morning and I totally passed out when I got back inside. I just tried calling you…" but he cut me off by pulling me inside.

"No time for that, just go grab your bag and come with me. Where is your aunt? There are no cars outside," he was still pulling me as he spoke, an urgency in his voice that I still didn't understand.

"She and Ms. Pat ran to the store. I thought they'd be home by now to be honest…" we were now in my room, so I hurriedly stuffed the few belongings I had brought with me into my backpack. "What's going on anyway? Why do I need to come with you? Did something happen?" The questions tumbled out one after another, desperate for answers.

"There's no time for that. Just grab your stuff and leave a note telling them to come to my mom's place ASAP," he grabbed my backpack and slung it over his shoulder and walked out towards the kitchen. My brow knitted in frustration and confusion, I followed him to the kitchen and wrote out a quick note which I left next to the other. Jade was already outside, his bike's engine roaring to life. I walked outside, not bothering to lock the door, no one does out here, and bounced down the creaking steps. I stopped beside his bike, Jade already astride. I hated riding on these things. I was pretty sure this would be how I would die, but his impatient face gave me no choice. He handed me my bag, which I slung over both shoulders, then his helmet, foregoing wearing it himself.

"Wait, if I'm getting on this thing, you've got to tell me something. Anything," I pleaded, my heartbeat fluttering with anxiety.

Something that looked like pain flashed across his face. "My mom called last night… Something is very wrong… a lot of people… there's been shootings and she said we should get to the shelter." he said, his voice barely audible over the roar of the bike's engine. My eyes widened with fear, my stomach felt like it was puddled in my shoes. "I haven't heard from her since then, maybe around 2 this morning… phone line's been busy since then. That is before it went dead a couple hours ago…" My aunt worked dispatch a few towns over, so I knew she probably knew more, even Jade might be keeping something from me, not wanting to scare me. Though I was the older one, it always seemed to be him that did the protecting.

I hadn't realize that I had stopped breathing until Jade spoke again, "C'mon, we have to go now." He helped me onto the back of his back, making sure I was secure.

"Wait," I called over the engine, "Where is all this happening? Just here or…" At first I thought that he hadn't heard me as he stayed silent after my question and I was about to ask again when he answered.

"I… I don't think so Eve… I'm sorry," he replied without turning his head, so I hoped that I had heard wrong as the bike lurched forward, sending us on our way.


	3. Part 1, Chapter 2

_Ch 2_

It didn't take long to get to my cousin's house, barely ten minutes altogether. We had raced down dirt roads, passing by horses nibbling at dried grass and fields of cotton that looked like snow in August, a cape of dust at our backs. Despite my racing heart, the world still seemed the same, peaceful.

Seeing the old single story house with its concrete porch and giant oak trees that guarded it instantly brought memories from my childhood flooding back. I had to keep my mind on the task at hand. The treetops of the forest behind the house were on fire with the glow of the impending sunset. Crickets and katydids had already joined the cicadas, beginning their nightly orchestra. I hefted my bag up higher on my shoulders and followed my cousin inside.

The house seemed smaller than I remembered, having not been here since my preteen years. I waited for the familiar tapping of claws on the wood laminate floor, but my heart sank when I remembered that Baby, a jack russell and beagle mix, had passed just last year. She had been our constant companion when we were kids, always just a few steps behind us, tail wagging. I regretted never once coming back to visit, always sure there would be more time. I quickly rubbed my eyes with my arm, erasing any sign of tears and followed Jade who had disappeared deeper into the house. I followed the sound of bags rustling and boxes being shifted to the bathroom near the kitchen. He had uncovered the trapdoor in the floor of the bathroom closet that led down into the shelter. It had never gotten much use, mainly built in case of hurricanes and the possible tornado.

I peered down the shaft, an old wooden ladder the only way down. My cousin was already down there, pulling out and setting up cots. I swallowed hard having always been afraid of heights, or falling to my death really, and began making my way down the ladder. My stomach leapt when I missed one of the rungs but was able to make it to the floor of the shelter safely. The shelter wasn't very large, almost the size of my living room back home, but much of it was taken up on one side by boxes of decorations and other stored away items that probably hadn't been seen in years. My cousin had pulled down a few of the boxes containing some of the only useful supplies, including some flashlights, an old radio, batteries, candles, matches, and a couple swiss army knives. Jade handed me one of the latter.

"Probably be best if we both had one of these, just in case," he said, pocketing the other. "I already grabbed all of the non-perishables out of the kitchen," he explained, gesturing towards a small stack of cans and dried foods in one of the corners of the room, "could you grab the first-aid kit? Pretty sure it's in mom's bathroom. Go ahead and grab any useful stuff out of there while you're at it," he directed before turning back to the almost set cots. I opened my mouth to press again about what was going on, about what he wasn't telling me, but his expression stopped me.

I sighed, realizing this meant back up the ladder already, but I dutifully scaled it, more carefully this time. I made my way to my aunt's room at the back of the house, pausing at the closed door. This room had always been off limits to us as kids, my aunt usually trying to secure as much sleep as possible between her two, sometimes three, jobs. I eased the door open, cast off clothing on the floor only allowing it to open halfway, and slipped inside. I tripped a few times in the dark before finding the light switch in the master bath. I quickly found the first aid kit, tucked beneath the sink before raiding the medicine cabinet. There wasn't much, a few otc painkillers and some out of date antibiotics. I grabbed what was still in date along with cotton balls and a few rolls of toilet paper, realizing I had no idea really how to prep for a potential disaster, never having lived through one myself.

Reaching for the light switch, ready to take my find back, I noticed my reflection in the old mirror above the sink. I tucked one side of my brown hair behind my ear, the rest brushing my shoulder in a windblown mess thanks to Jade's bike. I ran my fingers through my hair, carefully detangling a few of the knots, and brushed aside my blunt cut bangs that were now just a little too long. I found it hard to meet my own gaze, a problem I had when talking to others too, but this time I leaned in closer, examining the grooves and ridges of my iris. My eyes had always reminded me of the rings of a felled tree, earthy. I had hated my brown hair and eyes growing up, thinking they made me look plain, but I'd grown to love the color brown in recent years. It's a color you don't see much in the city.

I decided to splash some water on my face before flicking off the light and heading back to the shelter. I lowered down the items to my cousin before climbing back down myself. He had apparently been hard at work at making the place seem, well, livable. The cots were set and the radio was balanced between them on a box of Christmas decorations.

"Well…" Jade muttered, letting out a long breath, "I guess that's it.." He didn't meet my gaze as he pulled himself halfway up the ladder and settled the trapdoor shut, latching the few locks that my uncle had made. I sat down on one of the cots, feeling awkward now that I didn't have some task to distract me. Jade sat down on the cot across from me. I shifted, my stomach feeling like it was full of cotton and bees.

I cleared my throat, but it came out as more of a rusty squeak which made my cousin laugh. "Should I try the radio..?" I suggested, trying to hide my burning face. I turned the knob to the ON position and- nothing happened. We both stared at the radio in confusion. "Did you remember to actually put batteries in it?" I accused, my tone more harsh than I meant.

"Of course I did," he said, more patient with me than most, as he picked it up the radio and inspected it. "See?" he pointed out the batteries in their rightful place, "I put them in while you were grabbing stuff in the house."

"Well, either the batteries or the radio is a bust then" I proclaimed, my face burning again when I saw his unamused frown.

"Let's hope it's the radio then, because I know you won't be happy if we run out of batteries for the lantern…" he added with a knowing smirk. I had always been afraid of the dark as kids, but I wasn't about to let him win.

"Bring it on," I declared, laying down with my arms behind my head. I really hoped it was the radio. We sat in silence for a few minutes, except for the chorus that could still be heard through the small rectangular window near the ceiling. This silence, this awkwardness between us, I hated it. I started to think about all the stupid things that come between us over the years, mostly boys, and I regretted it all. He had been the only one truly there for me when I was younger, but when I began splitting my time with him when starting high school and then dating… growing apart was inevitable I guess, but looking at him now, his blue eyes concentrated on the fading light outside the window, I couldn't help but think about that time camping in April...

Jade stood up quickly causing me to jump which I tried to play it off as a stretch, but Jade was distracted by looking through one of the boxes he had set off the side. The sun was beginning to set outside, crimson light spying into our small home. Jade set a lantern in the middle of the room and turned it on, its bright blue LED fighting off the shadows in the corners. He then set down a bottle on the table between us, brown liquid sloshing behind glass. I watched as he pulled out two plastic cups and a bottle of water. He poured some of the brown liquid, which burnt my nose even a foot away, into both of the cups before popping the top off of the bottled water and setting it between us.

He handed me one of the cups before sitting across from me with his own. "Cheers," he announced, "to the end of the world."

"Cheers," I laughed at his morbid sense of humor, bring my cup to his. I was definitely no stranger to alcohol, but not with Jade. I quickly drained half the cup and outstretched my hand too quickly, almost knocking over the water before taking several large gulps. I never said I liked the taste. Jade almost snorted his own drink through his nose watching my ordeal.

"Jesus, you're as pathetic as the first time we smoked together" he snickered, taking another sip of his drink. I scowled, taking a smaller sip of my own, this time trying with all I had to not make a face after.

"At least I didn't eat the entirety of a cake meant for your mom's birthday like someone I know," I teased, feeling the warmth of the alcohol licking at my throat and face.

"Yeah, well I wasn't the one who cursed at twelve year olds while playing COD online," he goaded, kicking at my shoe. I stuck my tongue out at him like a child and kicked at him before we both started laughing. I felt myself relax a little. We were still the same people, no amount of time or distance could really change that. I downed the rest of my drink and grabbed the bottle myself to pour some more. Jade's eyes widened before he shrugged and downed the rest of his. I passed the bottle over to him and took another sip, trying not to think about the world outside, my eyes trained on that ever darkening rectangle.


End file.
